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Mousetoescamper

(5,141 posts)
Mon Nov 20, 2023, 12:14 AM Nov 2023

Apparent changes in the moon's inclination tonight

The moon appears to have changed its inclination during the hours between the following shots. The simplest explanation I've found is that the moon's orientation with respect to our horizon "shifts throughout the night because we live under a curved dome of sky. Think of the curved arc traveled by the sun during the day. The moon and the stars follow similarly curved paths."

5:31 PM


8:16 PM



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Apparent changes in the moon's inclination tonight (Original Post) Mousetoescamper Nov 2023 OP
;-) elleng Nov 2023 #1
Remarkable! Seconds apart. Thanks! Mousetoescamper Nov 2023 #2
What an interesting thought, my dear Mousetoescamper! CaliforniaPeggy Nov 2023 #3
Thanks and you're welcome! Mousetoescamper Nov 2023 #5
Ah HAH!!111!!! Marcus IM Nov 2023 #4
Do your research! Those other planets are disks. Or lights in the sky. 'Nuff said! Mousetoescamper Nov 2023 #6
Simple: It's doing a slow roll along the rim of the turtle shell. Hermit-The-Prog Nov 2023 #7
So that's what wakes me every night at 3 AM. And here I've been blaming the cat. Mousetoescamper Nov 2023 #8
Correct: The moon didn't rotate; you did William Seger Nov 2023 #9
Thanks for your intelligible explanation, William Seger! Mousetoescamper Nov 2023 #10

CaliforniaPeggy

(152,083 posts)
3. What an interesting thought, my dear Mousetoescamper!
Mon Nov 20, 2023, 01:38 AM
Nov 2023

Your photos are excellent and most dramatic. They clearly show what's going on.

Thank you so much!

Mousetoescamper

(5,141 posts)
5. Thanks and you're welcome!
Mon Nov 20, 2023, 02:08 AM
Nov 2023

elleng and I coincidentally took shots of the moon seconds apart tonight. (see #1, #2)

Mousetoescamper

(5,141 posts)
6. Do your research! Those other planets are disks. Or lights in the sky. 'Nuff said!
Mon Nov 20, 2023, 02:39 AM
Nov 2023


What's the significance of 111? Numerological numbskullery?

Thanks for the laughs, Marcus IM!

Hermit-The-Prog

(36,587 posts)
7. Simple: It's doing a slow roll along the rim of the turtle shell.
Mon Nov 20, 2023, 02:59 AM
Nov 2023

The -klunk- that happens when that raggedy part gets to the shell will happen while you sleep.

William Seger

(11,040 posts)
9. Correct: The moon didn't rotate; you did
Mon Nov 20, 2023, 06:39 AM
Nov 2023

Last edited Mon Nov 20, 2023, 07:29 AM - Edit history (1)

Every 24 hours, your reference direction for "up" actually rotates 360 degrees around the Earth's axis. The moon appears to have changed its inclination relative to your local horizon and your camera, but it's actually the horizon and camera that have changed their inclination relative to the moon. So, the apparent daily orbit of the moon and its apparent 360-degree rotation while doing so are both illusions caused by the rotation of the Earth.

I remember back in the late 90s, the "OMG, the moon has flipped between moonrise and moonset!" was a silly thing for a while.

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